Adjustable door hinge



March 4, 1952 LOWMAN 2,588,258

ADJUSTABLE DOOR HINGE Filed April 4, 1949 'Lol I. [I 20 F/g.3.

Inventor 36 Theodore A Lowman B, 2mm

mtg way v% y Patented Mar. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE DOOR HINGE Theodore A. Lowman, Fairbanks, Alaska Application April 4, 1949, Serial No. 85,285

1 Claim. 1.

This invention relates to novel and useful improvements in hinge structures of the adjustable type.

An object of this invention is to selectively raise and lower one hinge plate with respect to another by means of an improved adjusting assembly which includes an operator having a seat at the upper end thereof with one of the collars attached to one of the hinge plates disposed thereon, the said operator being threadedly disposed in another of the collars whereby, upon rotative operation of the operator, axial movement of the collar seated thereon, and connected to the hinge plate disassociated with the hinge plate having the collar thereon carrying the operator, is moved upward or downward.

Another object of this invention is to actuate the operator by an improved key which has a non-circular shank disposed in a non-circular bore of the said operator and which is carried for rotation by the same collar which supports the operator for rotative and rectilinear movement responsive to the rotative movement.

Another object of this invention is to beautify the resulting hinge structure by covering the necessary openings between the collars with one or more sleeves which are mounted on the hinge leaf collars.

Ancillary objects and features of novelty such as simplicity of structure will become apparent to those skilled in the art, in following the description of the preferred forms of the invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a plan view of the first form of the hinge structure showing the same in the full open position;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view showing the elements of the adjusting assembly in section;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 and in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of some of the elements of the adjusting assembly and showing a slightly modified form of the invention in that the arrangement includes only one pin for retaining the key in place within the operator, while the other figures illustrate the utility of two pins and Figure 5 is a perspective view of a sleeve used to cover parts of the hinge.

The general class of invention to which the present one appertains is the adjustable hinge group. Heretofore it has been known to utilize 5 hinge structures which are adjustable to set the door, window, or the like after it is hung and also to adjust the door or window, or other similar analogous element, in response to the set which normally takes place in a building, and more specifically in door frames, window frames, and the like.

The present invention diifers fromihe commonly known type in that an improved assembly for adjusting the two hinge plates with respect to each other is provided. Hinge plates l0 and 12, respectively, are illustrated with a number of apertures l4 therein which have screws or the like passed therethrough for retaining one plate on a door, while the other plate is held on a door jamb, window frame, or the like. The illustrated hinge is of the butt type, but it is appreciated that the improved portion of the illustrated structure may be used in connection with other types of hinges equally as well.

For illustrative purposes only, the hinge plate Ill is provided with three coaxial collars l6, l8 and 26, respectively. These collars are spaced from each other, thereby providing openings to accommodate the smaller diameter collars 22 and 24, respectively, which are fixed to the plate I2. The collars 22 and 24 are shorter than the extent of the spaces between the collars l6, I8 and 20 to allow insertion of the collars 22 and 24 in said spaces. When the hinge structure is assembled, a hinge pin 25 is passed through the central openings in the coaxial collars 20, 24, I8, and may pass through the collar 22.

The lowermost collar It has an ope ator 26 disposed therein, which operator is in the form of a cylinder closed at the upper end but open at the lower end. This operator is externally threaded and is disposed in the threads 30 on the interior surface of the collar IS.

A seat 32 is formed at the upper end of the cylinder or operator 26 and a lug 34 extends from the central portion of the seat. This lug is disposed within the bore of the collar 22, thereby centering the operator when it is in place within the collar l6.

Rotative movement of the operator within the colar I6 is transmitted to axial rectilinear movement of the collar 22 and hence the plate 12. This movement of the plate I2 is movement with respect to the plate In, whereby adjustment of the door with respect to the door jamb or window with respect to the window frame may be obtain ed.

proved key, generally indicated at 36, which has a decorative protuberance 38 at the bottom having a screwdriver receiving slot 40 therein. A non-circular shank 42 is fixed with the protuberance 38 and is disposed in a complementary shaped non-circular bore 44 within the operator 26. Accordingly, rotation of the key is reflected directly in rotation of the operator.

In order to prevent the key from falling from the assembly, one or more pins 46 are utilized. In place of pins, set screws may be used, or other similar expedients. The pins 46 are passed through openings 48 provided in the collar l6. Connecting the shank 42 with the protuberance 38 are thicknesses of stock or material which define a groove 50 wherein a part of the pin 46 or both pins 46 (when two are utilized) are dis posed. This allows the key to be rotated, but prevents it from simply falling from the bottom part of the operator.

In hinge structures of this nature, there is usually an objectionable space between the various collars. This is necessary so that adjustment of the plates with respect to each other, and consequently adjustment of the sets of collars with respect to each other, may be obtained. In order to cover this objectionable opening, there are provided several sleeves 52 which are disposed on the smaller collars 22 and 24, respectively. As disclosed in Figure 5, the sleeves are split to allow them to be spread for their insertion on the collars 22 and 24. These sleeves are simply frictionally retained on the smaller collars and are of an outside diameter substantially identical to the outside diameter of the collars I6, 18 and 20, respectively.

Since the ends of the sleeves 52 are disposed on the upper ends of the larger collars l6 and I 8, respectively, when the larger collars are lifted or lowered with respect to the smaller diameter 4 collars, the sleeves 52 are held on the exterior surface of the smaller diameter collars in order to cover the objectionable space between the collars.

Having described the claimed as new is:

In an adjustable hinge which includes a first plate and a second plate interconnected for movement by means of a pin passed through coaxial collars which are secured to said plates, the improvement which comprises an assembly for adjusting one of said plates with respect to the other including an operator, means mounting said operator in one of the collars for axial movement with respect to the collars in response to rotative movement of said operator, said operator having a seat with one of the collars on one of the plates disposed thereon whereby axial movement of said operator is transmitted to displacement of said one plate with respect to the other plate, said operator having a non-circular bore, a key having a non-circular shank disposed in said bore for rotating said operator, and means retaining said key shank within said bore including a groove in said key, a pin carried by one of the collars and a part of said pin being disposed in said groove.

THEODORE A. LOWMAN.

invention, what is REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 684,726 Sawyer Oct. 15, 1901 843,081 Fitzgerald Feb. 5, 1907 969,926 Wightman Sept. 13, 1910 2,209,125 Lackwitz July 23, 1940 

